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What welcomes guests to your holiday party like the glow of luminaries framing the path to your front door? Homemade luminaries are simple and quick craft projects which can be made from inexpensive items you already have around your house. Here are three different methods for making luminaries for your Christmas get-together from recycled items:

Milk jug luminaries

Empty milk jugs
Sand
Tea lights (traditional or battery operated)
Long wooden fireplace safety matches

Save milk jugs and rinse them out after use. Recycle the cap and cut off the top one-fourth to one-third of the jug with a knife or scissors. Place sand in the jug and shake to level. Place a tea light on the sand. Frame the sidewalk to your front door with jugs placed on both sides a couple of feet apart. Put a tea light or battery operated candle on the sand. Light the candle using a long match for safety.

Can luminaries

Empty aluminum cans (any size)
Paper
Masking tape
Large nail
Hammer
Sand
Tea lights

Save the desired number of aluminum cans of the same or different sizes. Draw a dot pattern on paper. Simple designs for your can luminary include a Christmas tree outline and a star outline. Use masking tape to adhere the pattern to the can. Use a nail and hammer to punch holes in the can at each pattern dot. You can also free hand a dot design or make a random dot pattern on the cans. If you find your can collapses, you may want to fill the can with water and place it in the freezer until the water freezes before making the pattern. Put sand and a tea light in the bottom of the can and place the luminaries along the path and on each step to your front entry.

Ice luminaries

Empty ice cream pails or large aluminum cans
Tea lights

Fill pails or cans with water and place in freezer until the water on the outer edges and bottom is frozen. Scoop out the slush in the center and store the luminaries in the freezer until use. Place a tea light in the bottom of each luminary. In northern climates, these luminaries can be left outdoors and used over and over until the weather warms. In warmer weather, the luminaries should last long enough to greet your evening arrivals.

Why go to the store to buy Christmas decorations when you can rummage through your recycling bin and within minutes create a beautiful, simple, cheap and "green" holiday craft which will help light the way to your holiday festivities?

Learn more about this author, Cindy Viesselman.
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